Remember:
Here’s the big picture: your child could be the next great scientist, firefighter, electrician, teacher, forester, or video game developer. Right now all of these opportunities are open to your child. All of these jobs also require education beyond high school.
The big picture’s important. It helps you understand the future you’re planning for your child. It’s a future that involves paying for additional education. The big picture can also seem overwhelming. Though that first tuition bill is years down the road, paying for school requires planning.
While there is a diverse range of types of education after high school, we use “college” as the simple term to refer to post-secondary institutions. Continuing education after high school doesn’t have to mean a traditional 4- or 2- year college, it can also mean technical training or other certificates that lead to successful careers. No matter the type of post-secondary education, all of these options require prior planning and a financial investment.
There’s a lot you can do right now to ensure that all your child’s dreams – present and future – can come true. These resources will help underscore the importance of saving for college and provide practical tips to help make saving for college a reality.

What does it mean to save for college?
Saving for college means setting aside money for your child’s future college education. Being a college saver isn’t just a one-time thing; it’s an identity. Saving for college requires a commitment to investing in your child’s future through regular contributions to a college savings account.

Why save? And why save now?
Every dollar saved is a dollar you don’t have to borrow and repay with interest. While there are many ways to pay for college – through financial aid, loans, scholarships, work-study, and saving – saving is the one avenue you can directly affect throughout your child’s development.

How do I save?
There are many different ways to save for college
You’ll need to decide what type of savings account or plan makes the most sense for your family.

Savings tips to help you get started
Even if you understand the importance of saving for your child’s future education, it can be challenging to fit saving for college into your budget or routine. Check out some of these tips and tricks to become a more effective saver.

What else can I do?
Children pick up the financial behavior of their parents. Modeling responsible financial behavior throughout your child’s development will help them make responsible financial decisions as adults. Check out the Pre-K – 5Th Grade Students section for relevant conversation starters and activities related to college and college savings.